Garment pressing machine



Aug- 12 1941- w. srRoBRlDGAE 2,252,650

GARMENT PRE-SS ING MACHINE Filed April l, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gttornegs Aug. 12, 1941. w. sTRoBRlDGE- GARMENT PRESSING MACHINE 3 sheets-sheet 2 Filed April l, 1940 Gttornegs Aug- 12', 1941- w. vSTROBRIDGE 2,252,650

GARMENT PRESS ING MACHINE Filed April 1, 1940 s sheets-sheet 5 :"1: i it 7| *45217266 w 64 e9 WY 73 H f77 n om I :inventor @mmm/5mm (Ittornegs Patented Aug. 12, 1941 2,252,650 GARMENT rnnssmenmonnin William strobriage, syracuse; N. Y., assigner to United States Hoffman MachineryvCorporation, New York, N. Y.,Ia corporation of Dela- Ware ` Application April 1, 1940, Serial No. 327,289

i claims'. (o

This invention relates to garment pressing inachines, and particularly to a bufng mechanism for cushioning the opening and the closing move--l ments of the press (either or` both) I The invention also contemplates certaincharacteristics in the buing mechanism which be` comes effective in the closing movement' of the press, the p urpose of such arrangement being to prevent the buffer from unduly' interfering with the so-called patting operation',,which is an operation oftenv carried out andwhich involves reciprocation of the press between closed and slightly open position.

Generally stated, the buffer is of the combined spring and hydraulic type, the hydraulic mechanism operating to delay the retreat of the buifer upon the closing and upon the opening impact (either or both), while permitting a morerapid reset-ting of the buffer when it is inactive. According to the invention, thehydraulic mechanism also imposes some delay on 'the restoration of the buffer, the purpose being to keep the buffer from becoming completely restored in the short time intervals between successive pats. Thus, during the patting operation the buer is not completely out of action, but it is not allowed a suiiicient range of action to interfere vwith effective patting. y

An important feature of the invention is that the latch and' the buffer are both 'associated with one of the toggle elements ofthe press, and thus are so closely related Vto each other that their coactio-n is precisely timed. e' The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: f

` Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing a press embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the forward lever ofthe primary toggle, i. e., that toggle which is op; erated by the foot pedal. f

Fig. 3 is Aan enlarged View ofV a portion of theA toggle mechanism shown in Fig.i 1, closed 4position being indicated in full lines and open position in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the rear link of the primary toggle equipped with a double acting buffer constructed according to the present invention, the buffer mechanism being shown largely in section; and

Fig. 5 is a plan View of thelink shown in Figui.

In its general aspects, the press proper con` forms to known practice in the garment pressing artand, henee,`nee`d be described only in generalt'erms." The main frame of the machine is generally indicated by the reference' numeral Il. This farne'hasa forward` standard I2 which supports the buckfland an' upstanding portion l4` upon whiclthe press lever I5 is fulcrumed at li. The l5 carries the head ilA at its forward end andiscounterweighted at i3. uAtension spring 1 d urges theelever in `a press opening direction. handle 2j isapplied to the forward en d of the lever4 letv and,serveesasurneans4v by which the Aop erator maydraw the press closed, and is the meansiorV reciprocating the` head il in the well known patting operation. l However, toV close the press and lock it forgsustained pressing operation,.11se is madeoi adouble toggle linkage, well knownin. the art. `These-called secondary toggle, made up of two links 22 and 23 hinged together at 24, reacts between afulcruin it on4 the base element l i and azfulcrumllicarriedby the bell crank 2l. The fulcrurn .26 .is adjustable relatively to the lever by meansof an adjustable bellcrank 2l; This ispivotedat-28 to' the lever and is adjusted by turning a wheel 2t. The Awheel 29 is pinned to a rod 3| which is threaded at 32- into a clevis 33 fulcrumed atill to the upper end ofthe lever 2l. The forward end of ltheJ-rod 3i is rotatably mounted at 35 in thevcross-piece 3B formed integrally with the lever l5, which at -that point is bifurcated; fi To operate thesecondary toggle 22; 23, use is madeof a soecalled primary toggle, which comprises af"fo'rward lever 3l which'is fulcrumed at `in the'base Il andthe rear toggle link v39, which is p inned'atil to the forward lever 31 and pinned atl Eto 'the lowerA link 23' of the rear toggle. To swing the forwardjlever Sl and close the pressy'there isprovided a foot lever 43 ful- -crurned atjthe' rear of the pressand connected Iby a link fit with the forward end of the forward lever 3l. Thus, depressior'i'of the pedal 43 moves the press 'to closed position (see Fig. l). A'coil tension spring 45 reacts between the link 23 and the base Il` and tends to break the secondary toggle.

To hold the press closed, a latch it is pivoted at 4l to the link 39 and has a hooked end which engages'behind the `roller'l mounted on the link 2,3. A coil spring lf3 urges the latch in an engaging direction. This" latch may be released by a inger-actuated'lever' 5l pivoted at 52 on theleverlB and'within nger reach of the handle 2l. It may be also released by depressing the foot pedal 53 against the resistance of a spring 54, the lever 53 being fulcrumed in the base Il at 55. These two actuators are linked to a latch releasing trigger 56 which is carried on a journal 51 supported by the frame Il. One end of the trigger 56 overlies a tail on the latch 46 and when the trigger 56 is turned clockwise, the latch is forced in a disengaging direction against the resistance of the spring 49.

From the finger-piece 5|, a link 58 leads to a bell crank 59 pivoted at 6| on member I4. From the other arm of the bell crank 59 a reach rod 62 leads to the trigger 56. The rear end of thev foot lever 53 is connected by a reach rod 63 to the trigger 56. The parts are so arranged that depression of the linger-piece 5I or the latch pedal 53 will release the latch 46 and maintain it released.

During the patting operation, the operator holds the nger piece 5l depressed, and is thus free to open and close the press by swinging the press head up and down.

To cushion the opening and closing movements y of the press, a buer structure is carried by the rear link 39 of the primary toggle, and the details of its construction are best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. An upward extension or housing 64 is formed integrally with the link 39 and encloses a reservoir chamber 65, a closing buffer chamber 66, and an opening buffer chamber 61. A branch or extension 68 of the reservoir chamber leads between the two buier chambers, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. 'Ihe two buffer chambers are open at their outer .ends and screwed into these openings are two cylinder bushings 69 and 1|. In these bushings work two piston buiers 12. and 13 which are substantially identical. Their outward motion is limited by snap rings 14, one for each buffer piston, and leakage is precluded by the cup packings 15 and 16, one for each piston. Each buier isf urged outward by corresponding coil compression springs 11 and 18. FromV the closing buffer chamber 6.6A a port leads to the reservoir chamber 65 and is partially throttled by the conical end of a Valve stem 19. This is threaded into the body 64 and, is surrounded by a coil compression spring 8| which acts as a frictional lock to prevent loss of adjustment. Similarly, a port leads from the opening buier chamber 61 past the conical end of a valve stem 82 which also has a retaining spring 8 3.

The branch port 68 from the reservoir chambei' 65 is in one-way communication with both the chambers 66 and 61. This communication is aiorded by one-way ball check valve assemblies, generally indicated by the numerals 84 and 85. Just before the press reaches the closed position of Fig. 1, the endof the buffer plunger 12 strikes a boss 86 on the upper end of the secondary toggle link 23. Thus, the resistance offered by the spring 11 and the resistance offered by the throttling action of the valve 19 (which resistance is adjustable) cushions the closing movement of of the plunger is somewhat delayed, with the result that during periodic patting and at a time when the buing action is not important, the plunger 12 does not reach its normal outward position before the next pat occurs. Consequently, this hydraulic delay of restoration is of particular utility in conjunction with patting and has a direct relation to the use of the finger release 5l as a means for facilitating the patting operation.

When the press opens wide and reaches the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 3, ther plunger 13 engages an abutment 81 on the forward lever 31 of the primary toggle. The inward motion of the plunger 13 has characteristics substantially identical with the inward motion of the plunger 12, but, of course, the valve 82 may be adjusted to give a slower or a more rapid retreat Vof the plunger 13. Thus, in effect, two distinct buffers, each individually adjustable as to its `builing characteristics, are aiorded. Their close association in a single structure simplifies manufacture. However, either might be used without the other. The delay of restoration of the buler 13v is ofA no particular significance because the patting movement occurs when the press head is close to the buck and is not required at the position of maximum retreat or opening movement of the head from the buck. Thus, while the: hydraulic timing of the buier is im'- portant in both cases, it has a particularly important function in delaying the restoration of the closing buffer, because of the effect on the patting operation.

While I consider it highly desirable to locate the buffer and the latch close to each other, because in this way the most precise timing can be secured; other locations for the buffer and for the' latch are permissible and it must be remembered that-except for lost motion and flexure of the parts; the timing of the different parts of the toggle linkage is positive. Hence, the close relationship of the two, while important, is not an indispensable feature.

The invention has been described as applied to a particular press, simply because this is a commercial' type well known in the art and is the one with which the invention is most likely to be used. However, modi'cations are possible within the scope of the invention and no unnecessary limitation to the 'specific details illustrated is implied.

' What'is `claimed is:

l. The combination of a' support; a buck mounted thereon; a lever fulcrumed on said support; a head carried by the lever toward and from the buckya toggle mechanism having a portion reacting between said support and said lever and serving when the toggle approaches straightened position to'move said head into operative relation to saidbuck and on further movement develop pressure between the head and the buck; a latch for-maintaining said toggle mechanism in said pressure4 developing position; operator operated means for? holding said latching disengaged; a buier carried by said toggle mechanism and reacting between components thereof to buff the iinal movement of the toggle mechanism to pres,- sure developing position; and displaceahle means forming a part ofV said buiiing mechanism for delaying restoration of the buiiing element after its displacement, whereby the head may be patted against the buck with less than the normal resistance oiered by said bufng, element. after the first impact.,Y i Y 2'. The combination defined in claim 1, in which said buiing means comprises an hydraulic check with adjustable means for delaying the bufling response, and ow controlling means for delaying in a less degree the restoration of the buillng element.

3. The combination of a support; a buck mounted thereon; a lever fulcrumed on said support; a head carried by the lever toward and from the buck; a toggle mechanism comprising a pair of toggle links arranged to react between said support and said lever and serving as the toggle approaches straightened position to move said head toward said buck and on further movement develop pressure between the head and buck: a second toggle comprising an operator operated lever pivoted on said support, and a link connecting said lever with an element of the first toggle; and buing means carried by the last named link and comprising two independently adjustable buffers one of which reacts against a portion of said first toggle as the latter approaches straightened position and the other of which reacts against sai-d operator operated lever as the press approaches fully opened position.

4. The combination defined in claim 3, in which said buiers include each an hydraulic check, an adjustable valve for varying the buiing retreat of said buier, and check valve means affording a more rapid return ow to permit restoration of the buffer.

WILLIAM STROBRIDGE. 

